India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games to successfully defend their title and secure another gold medal for the country.
However, the lack of sufficient support from the other end meant Pakistan eventually finished short of the target. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each for India, while Shivam Dube also made an impact with the ball in the latter stages of the chase. Hasan Nawaz kept Pakistan’s hopes alive with a stunning 96 off 51 balls, but India held their nerve in the final stages of the chase to seal a memorable victory at Korogi Sports Park on Saturday. Pakistan needed 212 runs to win and got a major boost from Hasan Nawaz, who played a sensational unbeaten knock. Earlier, India posted 211/6 in 20 overs after being put into a strong position by Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek smashed the fastest fifty by an Indian against Pakistan in T20Is, reaching the milestone in just 20 balls. He bettered his previous 24-ball fifty against Pakistan in Dubai in 2025. The opener eventually scored 61 off 28 balls, hitting three fours and seven sixes.
Tilak Varma then took charge in the latter stages of the innings, bringing up his fifty in 21 balls. He finished unbeaten on 51 as India produced a strong finish despite the sluggish surface. Tilak and Shivam Dube added 62 runs for the sixth wicket, helping India post 211/6.
